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Building Tips
General Advice Be careful with doors, because NPCs can open them! Plan the layout beforehand, possibly in a temporary creative world, then build. This is good for all of Minecraft, not just Middle-earth. It is a good idea to look at pictures from the movies if you want a movie style, but bear in mind that this may differ very strongly from what Tolkien had in mind when he wrote the books. You can find a gallery of Tolkien's artwork for his own writings at Tolkien Gateway. Building a Castle or Fortress A castle is meant to protect a certain area; therefore, it should be near an area of significance, such as a road or a river – or even a source of raw materials. This may sound trivial, but it will enhance its realism. A castle will usually have two gates; an inner gate and an outer gate, both being part of an encircling wall. The outer gate will usually be the larger of the two. The outer gate should have battlements, that is places for the archers to hide while they are being shot at; these can be simple or very complex. The gate could be made out of different materials depending on the faction. Gondor and most Elven factions will use a stone or brick gate, civilisations based on Germanic societies, such as Rohan or the Beornings, would use wood. Half-troll and Moredain would most likely use hardened clay. Inside the outer gate, there should be the barracks, the armouries, the smithies, and most other buildings. The second gate will be smaller, and protect key buildings, such as the keep. The keep will usually have a tower, depending on the faction (Half-trolls would most likely not have a tower). Also, around the outer gate, you should put towers. Remember, this also depends on the size of your fortress. A castle has multiple defences, besides the walls and the men defending them. In the Middle Ages, men would often drop tar or some other very hot liquid on their enemies, so that they would catch fire. In Minecraft, you can use lava. For more detail, look at these pages on Defensive Traps and Fort Defence. What materials should I use in building? * High Elves: High Elven Brick, silver, marble * Wood-Elves: Wood, copper, Wood-elven Brick, green wool, Mirk-oak leaves (green and red) * Lorien Elves: Mallorn, Galadhrim Brick * Avari Elves: Wood, dirt * Ered Luin: Sarlluin, stone * Orocarni: Sarncaran, cobblestone * Durin's Folk: Dwarven Brick, marble, stone * Angmar: Angmar Brick, Orc Steel * Gundabad: Dwarven Brick, wood, dirt, anything * Dol Guldur: Dol Guldur Brick, stone, copper, cobblestone * Moredain: Acacia wood, clay. * Rangers: Spruce wood, Arnor Brick * Tauredain: Mossy cobblestone, Mossy Cobblestone Brick * Mordor: Mordor Brick, Orc Steel, Gulduril Brick * Gondor: Gondor Brick, marble * Rohan: Oak wood, thatch, gold, Rohan Brick and pillars * Uruk-Hai: Uruk Brick, dirt * Fangorn: Rock * Half-Trolls: Hardened clay * Dunland: Clay, wood * Easterlings: Harad Brick, their future brick, copper, gold * Northmen: Wood, brick Building a Village or Settlement Villages will also be usual in certain areas. This is primarily based on how a city normally survives. If it survives on trade, you should make it near a port or a major roadway. A village will usualy have different buildings, each centred around a square. This should be either a town square, or something else important. It will have many different buildings, such as a butcher's, a smithy, a library, etc. This all depends on the faction, however. A settlement should be smaller, and look less permanent than a village, although it is similar in almost all other aspects. Building a Ruin A Ruin, depending on the faction it was made for, should be in general disrepair. According to the surroundings, it should have vines creeping up it (but no vines in Near Harad). Depending on the state of the ruin, most of the bricks should be mossy or cracked. It could have missing blocks, but not to many of these. Bats are a option for underground ruins. Dwarvish Builds Here you can find advice for building with different factions of Dwarves. Blue Mountain Dwarves Blue Mountain builds are unlike Durin's Folk builds in many different ways. They build more above ground than the Longbeards, with fortresses and walls rather than just a cavern entrance. Their mines would also be horizontal strip mines, not vertical holes. Outside fortifications are key. Try low bunkers and walls built into the rock, with walls leading to forts that protect the flanks and the entrance. The stone used would, of course, be Sarlluin Brick and the occasional Dwarven Brick. Inside, make a long and winding entrance with side passages. Place banners and armour sets at intervals along it. This should lead to a great hall, though not as large as a Durin's Folk hall. Use arches here. A feasting table, bar, fire, and throne should be in here. Position banners on the walls. Side passages may lead to several side rooms. They should be neatly hewn, with a banner, barrel of ale, and a bed. Wood can be used for the floor. Other side passage rooms can included a guardhouse, prison, grave, forges, mines, and an armoury. Forges should have fire, weapons, armours, and anvils, while an armoury would have just tools of war. These rooms can be combined to save space. Mines could be strip mines, lit by glowstone. Mine all ore and use it to decorate the great hall. Red Mountain Dwarves You can be as imaginative as you want with the Dwarves of the Orocarni, as they were never described in full. These Dwarves likely use a lot of Sarncaran Brick in their buildings, which would probably be mostly underground, but do not be scared of using other materials. Cobblestone and Dwarven Brick work well with Sarncaran. Make use of the extra blocks (Pillars, Walls) in your structures, as well as the carved variant of Sarncaran. An abandoned mineshaft-type mine probably looks best for the Orocarni Dwarves, and helps show a cultural difference between those of Durin's Folk. A forge room, with fire, armour stands, and furnaces always gives a structure a Dwarven flair. Remember to use lots of Sarncaran! Durin's Folk Durin's Folk have less above-ground options than the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains. They usually have cavernous spaces under the mountains, with massive pillars holding the ceiling up. These cities usually have vertical descents down halls and mines, as well as long and forking horizontal passages linking the many halls of stone. It's a good idea to map out your fortress before you start when working underground. Building a mine is a good idea. For Durin's Folk, vertical mines work best. Leave the cliff edges rough with ores visible to show of the riches. A treasure room can be a good way to display gold. Leave ores showing on the walls of the halls on important structures to show off the geological wealth. Use trimmed brick to add detail along with pillars. Personal rooms will be off to the side of the main hall. Have a fireplace in it, and maybe a vertical tunnel to the surface for lighting. This can also work with dining rooms. A forge room is a seriously Dwarf style addition. A huge fireplace, surrounded by forges, crafting tables, and armour stands looks great. Build lots of vertical caverns! Use pictures of Erebor as reference. Elvish Builds Here you can find advice for building with different factions of Elves. High Elves The High Elven buildings are usually very elegant, made of High Elven Brick with arches, banners, and carved bricks. A Greek or Roman style is one way to start. Rooms should have high, arching roofs. At least two sides of each room should be pillared; the pillars should have at least one carved brick. The solid walls should have at least one dyed wool or banner. Stairs should be in a gentle spiral. Domes, with a covered tower topped with an arch, are another good feature. Have at least one Elven guard in the tower. Open air balconies are great places for dinner tables. An underground extension with a fireplace, forge area, and armour stands can add the sense of a forging area – crafting was a Noldorin hobby. Item frames can display swords there. An interior, open-air courtyard with a fountain and garden can give an Elven atmosphere. Fangorn plants look nice here, along with a vegetable farm. An Eregion style build should use holly products and red carpets. More mineral blocks are another good idea. Ruins should use vines, cracked bricks, and be crumbling. Rivendell builds should use Galadhrim brick instead of High Elven and use red and purple decorations more than blue. Wood should be of reddish variety; remember to use beams to uphold the ceiling. Galadhrim Galadhrim builds are usually made of Mallorn wood, and are built among the boughs of the huge Mallorns. On the forest floor, more Galadhrim Brick can be used. For a richer home, a spiral staircase, with periodic races along it, up the mallorn tree side looks nice. For less wealthy folk, try a ladder. A hole in the floor, looking down to the ground, is a great decoration, but also a hazard. No windows! Just leave open spaces. This looks great, but is a potential danger. Lighting should be from torches or well-hidden glowstone. No fires! Wood should be the main material, and you don't want fire in the building. Woodland Realm The Silvan Elves of Mirkwood live in underground houses with aboveground extensions. Be sure to plan out your underground part before you build. The underground portions should be more expansive, with curving pillars, hanging stairs, and springs coursing below the airborne paths. Wood should be dominant here, with orange and amber colored decorations. The whole thing should be made vertically, with stairs and bridge or walkways. Light should come from torches. No fire! Bedrooms should be circular, built into the rock face, small rooms with a fire and bed. At least one banner should be placed in the room. Copper blocks look good to highlight specific areas and to create designs. The aboveground part should be a tower or small stone house in a copse of trees. Avari Elves Not much is yet known about the Avari, so feel free to be creative! They might have lived in trees, like the Galadhrim, or underground like the Wood-elves. They were divided into six tribes, but there were two races among them: The fewer Tatyar, ancestors of the Noldor and the more numerous Nelyar, ancestors of the Teleri, Sindar, and Silvan Elves. One possible colour option for the Avari is a russet-orange and green. This is based on their forest living, their proximity to the Red Mountains, and the Wood-elven love of amber. However, anything works. The Tatyar living among them might prefer blue to green. Stone should not be the main material, as the Avari were not as good with it as the other elves. It can be used as a highlight, though. A Tatyarin style home might have more stone. Light should come from Wood-elven torches. Try not to use much metal, and don't have a forge. The Nelyar were not skilled at metalworking. Leather armour, dyed red or green, does work for armour stands. Tatyarin have a higher skill with metal, so Wood-elven helmets can be used with leather if you are going for Tatyarin style. As with all Elves, do not use glass at all! The elves used thin, curving wood or stone bars. Just use blocks arranged in a natural pattern. Orcish Builds Here you can find advice for building with different factions of Orcs. Angmar Angmar builds should be made out of Angmar Brick and Orc Steel, with jagged edges. try to go for a Black Gate or Gundabad from the Hobbit look. A tower is a good idea for any follower of the Witch-King. Angmar Brick should be used to build it. Add walls to the top of the tower to look like spikes, and put skulls around the entrance. Orc and Morgul Steel looks nice here. Fly a banner from the top. Living areas should consist of tents for a lower-ranking individual or a room off the side of a tower for a captain. The room should have Angmar banners, skulls, and an Orc bed. A fire works well here. The floor can be made of charred wood or stone. The whole build should be surrounded by a stone and Orc steel wall with spikes and skulls. A space should be left between the build and the wall for tents, smaller buildings, pillars, fires, and ruins. Smaller buildings around the main one can include Warg stables, barracks, dungeons, and a forge. The forge should have Angmar and Morgul armour sets and a fire. Light should come from fire, Orc torches, and Morgul torches. Morgul and Orc steel can be used as decoration, as can Gulduril Bricks. Dol Guldur There are two ways to do a Dol Guldur build: using the style in the mod, or the style in the Hobbit film. For the mod style, use Dol Guldur bricks and Mirk-Oak wood. A spike-topped tower is a good way to start. Also, have a dungeon section for Elves and other enemies. A ditch filled with thorns and Webs of Ungoliant makes a good trap. Be sure to make a bridge across to the entrance of the tower! For a bedroom, use a floor of the tower and use an orc bed. Decorations can be made with Gulduril blocks, skulls, and Dol Guldur armour. Windows should have Orc Steel bars. Lighting should come from Morgul and Orc torches. A Dol Guldur banner should fly from the top of the tower. For the Movie style, make a maze-like fortress with uncomfortable angles and lots of vertical descents. Ruined towers, statues, and walls should be built randomly. Use thorns and charred wood throughout the fortress to represent withered trees. There should be absolutely no lighting, except possibly a fire in the lower levels. Copper and bronze spikes or scaffolding work well to make the whole building a tetanus hazard. Hang gibbets from ruined stone towers. Place skulls and remains everywhere. A bedroom should be in the lowest levels of the building. It should just be an Orc bed in a small corner. A Mordor or Dol Guldur armour stand might work here. A torture room with piston traps and piston knives should be on the same level. The fortress as a whole should look very depressing. Mordor Mordor designs are usually dark and harsh-looking. The main component is usually a tower made of Mordor Brick. This can be designed somewhat similar to the Towers of the Teeth. It should have an open, jagged top with lower levels. Use iron bars instead of windows to create a hostile vibe. A dungeon, torture room, and forge work well to create an evil feel. The forge should have a large fire with armour stands and anvils. The torture room should have lava, skulls, and poisoned daggers. It should be connected to the prison, which should have cells with bars (of course) and skulls on the floor. A bedroom should be underground the tower, with Orc beds, skulls, and torches. Another option is to build a taken Gondorian fortress. This should be made of Gondor Brick, Dark Gondor Brick, and Gulduril Gondor Brick. The style should be based off that of Minas Morgul corrupted and rotting over a foundation of glory. Build all of the room mentioned above into it. See the Gondor section for more info. Gundabad A Gundabad home is usually in a small, shallow cave. The edges of the cave should be jagged, not smoothed in any way. Orc beds should be located in small corners of the cave. For decoration, mismatched armour sets, skulls, and pieces of thatch give the tunnel an Orcish look. Orc Torches and skulls on spikes are a must outside the caves. For a larger home, create a Durin's Folk home and distress it. Add remains to the floor, mine up the exposed ores, and dig smaller tunnels under the halls for sleeping areas. Replace everything Dwarvish with Orc equivalents. There are not really any bounds to larger fortresses, other than being disheviled, which is great for survival players, as there is no real brick type that you should use. If one wants to go for a Goblin-town look, the first order of business is to dig or find a very deep, irregular and long underground ravine. Add dirt and filth. Now it is time to add goblin structures. Build rickety bridges, paths, and propped up shacks made of wood of many different types. Use remains, skulls, and totem-like structures liberally. No forges or armor should appear. Light should come from fire and Orc torches. Uruk-Hai The Uruk-hai live mostly underground, in mines and pits made of dirt. The main hall should be a irregular, dirt cavern. Parts of it should be exposed to the light, and it should not be that deep underground. It is reached from the surface by Uruk Brick stairs, and Uruk Brick bridges criss-cross through the pit, above the cavern floor. The main hall doubles as a forge. There should be many furnaces, anvils, crafting tables, and armour sets strewn throughout. Lava and fire should supply the main lighting. A "bedroom" consists of a small room off to the side of the main cavern. it has an Orc bed and nothing else. Mannish builds Gondor The people of Gondor live in stone houses and fortresses. It is all right to use mossy and cracked bricks, because Gondor was falling into disrepair at the time of the War of the Ring. The building should have a thick and tall Gondor Brick wall with Dark Gondor Brick decoration. Stairs should come up parallel to the wall. The building should have at least one big tower. It should have a covered top, and taper as it goes towards the tip of it. Some smaller ones, resembling Beacon Towers, should also be built along the wall. Domes should be built along the corners of the main building. In a rectangle around the large tower, but not touching it, should be the living area and workshops. Gondorian armour on stands and flags should be positioned at intervals along the halls. The halls should have pillars and arches along the side facing the tower, looking across a garden surrounding the tower. The bedroom should be in one corner of the rectangle under a dome. It should have beds, armour stands, and a barrel of ale. The crafting room, also under a dome, should resemble a blacksmith building, with a pool of lava and anvils. it should also have item and armour stands in it. There should be at least one banner in every room. The above is just one way to make a Gondorian home. Be as creative as you want! A ruin should be similar, but crumbling and with lots of mossy brick. The Rangers of Ithilien live in underground halls beneath the forest. If you want to, it can be built under a waterfall like Henneth Annun. There should be a table with wine and bread, along with Ranger armour and bows on stands. A Gondor banner should be positioned on one wall. The people of Dol Amroth have a similar style to the people of Gondor, but with some High Elven touches. They also use Dol Amroth Brick instead of Gondor Brick. See the High Elven section to learn about their design. If you feel like creating a provincial '''Gondorian settlement, build an Arnor settlement, then switch the banners and remove any Warg fur rugs. See the Arnor section for more details. Arnor Rangers typically do not settle down for long, so building with them would probably be either a tent or some sort of outpost like a watchtower. Dark wood and thatch work well for towers. Another option is to make a '''small settlement, like those seen in Born of Hope. Small, dark wood and thatch houses surrounded by a stockade are a good choice. One building should be larger, with banners in it. This is the leader's house. Every house should have a Warg skin rug (or warg-fur colored carpet) and a fire. A large, communal fire should be located outside. If you want to make an Arnor building, build a Gondorian-style home out of Arnor Brick. Change anything Gondorian to Ranger gear. For a ruin, break down walls and place mossy brick everywhere. Rohan The Rohirrim live in wooden houses with thatched roofs. Little stone should be used to make it. Houses should be made of spruce or other dark wood. They should have Anglo-Saxon influences, including colourful wooden pillars, and arches. The roof should be made of sloping thatch. Light should come from torches, but houses should have at least one fire. A watchtower near the main hall is a good way to watch for enemies. It should have an open top, with no cover from the elements. There should be no windows at all, or openings, or bars. The Rohirrim did not make windows for light or watching enemies. A Warg skin or regular carpet looks nice in a wealthier person's house, as do banners and gold decorations. Poor houses should not have these, or colourful pillars. There should be a stable for the famed Rohirrim horses, along with an area for cows and sheep. A stockade of wood around a small settlement gives the impression of a semi-advanced people. it is good protection, but people cannot go onto the walls. Remember, the Rohirrim read no books, so no libraries. On the other hand, a great mead-hall to accommodate many people and a scop ''who would recite poetry. Dunlendings The Dunlendings are somewhat savage and crude men, and their builds should use little to no metal, and not much stone except for the floor. These people mostly live in small wooden huts with wood or dirt floors, with a fire, a chest full of weapons, and a bed. These people enjoy their liquor, so barrels of rum are a nice touch. Flooring can include Warg skin rugs, ragged carpet, or thatch. Skulls and weapons in item stands make good decorations. This design can also be used for '''Hill-Men of Rhudaur'. Near Haradrim The Near Haradrim have two major designs: The Haradrim and the Mahud. The Haradrim live in Harad Brick houses with pillars and open roofs. A tower is another option, as is a pyramid with several halls. The beds are located on the roof surface, to get the fresh air. No need to worry about rain in a desert! Decoration usually consists of skulls, bronze, or banners. A set of Haradrim armour on a stand is another possible item. Iron bars can be used along with windows. A camel stable is a good idea for a larger estate. Mahud Nomads live in hardened clay and sand huts. These people are the ones who tamed the mumakil. Their houses could be similar to the Sand People from Star Wars. No windows – the Mahud huts have only one opening at the top to let in light. Mahud decoration consists of semi-precious/precious items on display, along with skulls. Moredain The Moredain are a tribal folk with mostly small to medium sized houses. Use Moredain Brick and acacia wood planks in the houses with thatch for the roof. Flooring is made of dirt and thatch. Lion fur beds should be used, as the Moredain worshipped the lions. For a wealthier Moredain house, use more hardened clay and Moredain Brick. This makes the home seem more sophisticated. A Moredain Warlord House should have trophies of war, and plenty of gold and silver decorations. REMEMBER, these should be very rare. A stable can be made to hold the Moredain zebra mounts. Tauredain The Tauredain are yet little known. A good inspiration is Inca and Mayan structures. Gold and mossy cobblestone work well with this design. The Tauredain are in decline, so a ruined city is a nice touch. The Northern Tauredain '''have more Central American architecture, such as pyramids and farms on lakes called Chinampas. Northern Tauredain cities should be densely packed, with simple huts for peasants and stone buildings for nobility and the priesthood. Rohan and Moredain brick can look good with this style. The '''Southern Tauredain '''have more South American styles, such as terrace farms on hills and stone buildings. Cobblestone and Mossy Cobblestone are best for this style. Make sure to have several large trees along paths. The '''Rajian Village '''style of the cloud forest builds homes on cliffsides, connecting them with rope bridges. They delve into the cliffs, replacing the walls with bricks and often utilizing caves for houses. These houses typically have a glass roof. The '''Rajian Urban '''style is similar to the Northern Tauredain one, but uses mostly wood. Rajian cities will usually center around a farming area, surrounded by shops. The town hall will often be on a small mound, with catacombs beneath. This style should have mainly mango trees on paths and a Stone Wall should be the only stone construction. The '''Tol Hith style consists of jungle trees connected with rope bridges, and buildings built on top of one or more trees. Baobab trees can also be used, and should be hollowed out with rooms inside. Note that this is all speculation, and that the Tauredain will likely not have this architectural diversity. Easterlings Not much is known about the Easterlings, but you will nonetheless find some architectural suggestions here. You may want to use Asian-influenced styles, as the Easterlings of Tolkien's world and Peter Jackson's film trilogy were mainly inspired by these; look to the Mongols and ancient Japanese cultures for more ideas. The Easterlings were a rich people, so their houses would be made of their specific block when added, with some gold and Lapis Lazuli decorations. The bedroom should have lion fur beds and item stands with Easterling weapons. A forge room should also be added. This would have armour stands, anvils, and furnaces. The whole building should have gold, bronze, and copper blocks arranged at key points. Lighting should come from torches. Windows should have glass or iron bars. Númenóreans The Númenóreans were master seafarers, so their buildings could be in a island or costal stronghold. They should function as a port as well. If a Faithful settlement, athelas should be found in large amounts. The build could be made out of Gondor Brick. If it is a ruin, it should be in disrepair, with vines climbing all over it. Windows should be iron bars. Light should come from glowstone. For a King's Men or Black Númenórean settlement, use jagged designs of an Orcish metal and Dark Gondor Brick. Ruins should have vines over it or be broken down. Windows should be orc iron bars. Light should come from fire, lava, or torches. A Black Numenorean design can also be used for Umbar. Northmen There are three styles of Northmen builds: Lake-men, Men of Dale, and Men of Rhovanion. The Lake-men settlements should be situated on a lake (of course) or a body of water. The buildings would be made out of wood, held up by wooden pillars. Have canals for boats to pass through the town. The houses should be made out of dark wood, as stone will sink into the water. There should be two levels of the town: mooring and business on the lower levels, living on the upper. Use lots of pillars and balconies. Lighting should come from fire or torches. Every home should have a fireplace. Use glass for windows, or have none at all.. If you want to make Lake-men ruins, you should make rotting pilings everywhere. Dale builds are made of sandstone or their special brick when added. They have roofs of normal brick. A tower is a good feature. It should have a brick roof on the top of it. Streets throughout a settlement should be twisting, with houses on each side. These should have balconies overlooking the street. Light should come from torches. Windows should just be openings. Have lots of greenery and plants to give a summery vibe. Make buntings hang through the streets for a festive appearance. A '''Rhovanion '''or Vale of Anduin build should use the same techniques as the Rohirrim houses, just without gold, banners, or horse decor. Limwaith The Limwaith have not yet been added, so the best guess is to make thatch houses resembling those of the Maori and Polynesians. Cerinrim These Far Haradrim have also not been added either, but their houses might be based on the Zulu thatch homes, which are small and shaped like a half-sphere. Bree-Land The people of Bree-land live in wooden houses. A dark wood for floors and roofs contrasts well with a light wall. Make an X of dark wood on every wall. Every house should have a carpet, fire, and windows. If the building is to have an upper floor, make it overhang the lower floor. Lighting should come from torches. There should be no tools of violence at all. Another Bree-land structure is a Hobbit Hole. See the Hobbits of the Shire section for more info. Other factions Here you can find advice for building with the other people of Middle-earth. Hobbits of the Shire Hobbit homes are easiest to make when built into an already existing hill, but can also be built to look like a hill. Hobbit homes often have more rooms focused on food than anything else (one for eating, one for cooking, one for storage, etc.), but this is not entirely necessary. Glass windows looking out the side of the hill are common for lighting, as well as iron chandeliers. Lit hearth stones are also an option for bigger houses. Bricks and wood planks (typically oak) are used for the walls to make the build more homely on the inside. For your hobbit home, think ''relaxed, ''stylistically. Hobbit homes usually have a brick chimney on top, possibly with the addition of a flower pot as a smoke exit. If your hobbit hole has any business parts, these are typically made rectangular out of wood, and are either disconnected from or sticking out of your hill. Smaller homes have only one floor, but bigger ones can include two or three. A hobbit hole should be built more horizontally than vertically. In larger smials, a circular corridor would run around the side of the hill, the best rooms being situated on the outer side so as to have windows. A pleasing front facade can be achieved by using 7 wool blocks around a wooden door. Place contrasting wood or brick steps on the top and bottom corners of the wool layer and surround with blocks of the same material. This layer should create the front wall of the hole and the exposed wool creates the appearance of a round door. Place wood slabs and stairs along the top of the front wall and cover with dirt to form the eaves. The result should be a wood and stucco-like front with enough contrast and depth to make the result interesting. Fangorn An Ent home is simple: A huge cave under the outcrop of a hill. A waterfall down the side of the cave with a small pool creates a natural atmosphere. It should have a big stone table, topped with Ent draughts. No food should be there, Ents live on their drinks alone! (For survival, you might want a chest of food just in case.) The bed should just be a stone ledge, but an actual bed should be there for the player's convenience. Half-Trolls The Troll-men live in clay huts decorated with skulls. A simple clay hut with thatch flooring and skulls on spikes gives a crude, cruel feeling. Hardened clay and/or brown stained clay would work There should be some fire in the house for light and heat, but the house should be rather bare and unsophisticated. This fire should be one block under the floor, with an iron bar above it, if you want to follow the mod's style. Utumno Utumno buildings should either in a tall tower or in underground pits. Utumno materials are very useful, as they have heigh blast resistance and are very evil looking. An Utumno building should be very imposing, and be decorated with skulls, torches, and other evil decorations. It should have a large gate, and many chambers. A cool idea is the torture chamber. You could make many piston suffocating, drowning and lava traps. These should be performed on either prisoners or Tormented Elves. Barracks, prisons full of High Elves, and storage rooms to hold materials are other good building ideas. A major source of lighting could be lava, as this fits in with the fire element of Utumno.